Graduation Ceremony

• No helium balloons inside (OKC Fairgrounds policy)

• No artificial noise makers or air horns

The ceremony will take approximately 90 minutes (1.5 hours) from start to finish. All graduates are expected to stay for the full duration of the ceremony. Please plan accordingly.

Use the south main entrance of the venue to enter when doors open at 12:00 PM.

Check-in also begins at 12:00 PM inside the south lobby, but we encourage you to arrive early to get in line. Once inside the venue, turn right to get to the Graduate Holding Area behind the pipe and drape curtains.

Guests do not need to stand in line at check-in with you. They can make their way inside the venue to keep the lobby as clear as possible.

Arrive in or with your provided navy blue cap and gown with business casual dress underneath. Professional and comfortable shoes are recommended (it is a long walk from the holding area to your seats).

Gowns should be zipped closed before the ceremony.

If you do not have a cap and gown, there will be extras at check-in (first-come, first-served).

Check-in is divided alphabetically by last name (look for the signs on the check-in tables).

Graduates are responsible for their own name card after check-in. If your name card is lost or damaged, Metro Tech staff will have additional cards when graduates line up to go on stage.

Once inside the venue, turn right to get to the Graduate Holding Area behind the pipe and drape curtains. There will be a 360 photobooth, decorated photo backdrops, and a hair/makeup touchup station. Water fountains and restrooms are also available.

15 minutes before the start of the ceremony, please find your program’s name sign in the Graduate Holding Area, so you know where to line up. 

• No helium balloons inside (OKC Fairgrounds policy)

• No artificial noise makers or air horns

• Keep the carpeted, center aisle clear for the graduate processional. 
• No guests are allowed inside the Graduate Holding Area or the Graduate Seating Area. 

The ceremony will take approximately 90 minutes (1.5 hours) from start to finish. All graduates are expected to stay for the full duration of the ceremony. Please plan accordingly.

There is no limit to the number of guests a graduate can bring to the ceremony.

There will be a live stream of the ceremony on Metro Tech's YouTube channel for anyone who cannot attend.

Doors open to the venue at 12:00 PM. We encourage you to arrive when doors open, as it takes time to park and get into the venue.

Do not stand in line at check-in with your graduate. Make your way inside the venue to keep the lobby as clear as possible. Seating inside the venue is first-come, first-served. Once you select your seat, remain at that seat.

Light concessions are available inside the venue, and large video screens are visible from all seats. 

After the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will be released all at once.

Once graduates are released, please exit the venue in a timely fashion. It is a very large event, so it may take several minutes to exit the parking lot.

A sign language interpreter will be available at the ceremony. However, if you or your guest(s) require other special services, you can contact Metro Tech's Special Populations Advisor at 405-595-2213.

All seating is floor level, so there is no designated section for accessible seating; however, there are designated accessible parking spots on the south side of the building in front of the main entrance.

Guests will not be allowed into the student/faculty section on the floor for photographs until the ceremony has concluded.

Candid Color Photography will take professional photographs of each graduate before, during, and after they walk across the stage. All photographs will be available online at Oklahoma Party Pics, or you can contact them at 800-345-1443. An offer to purchase these photographs is also sent to the email the graduates provide on their Graduation Application, but there is no obligation or requirement to place an order.